This six month pilot project was funded through a grant from Coca-Cola Foundation through the national non-profit River Network. A national litter control device manufacturer, Osprey Initiative, designed three different devices for three stormwater outfall channels on the Salt River within the City of Phoenix. The project was sited within an environmentally sensitive urban area of the Salt River that has been engineered with federal funding to support restoration of native habitat. Litter was collected and removed from the devices for six months, with data documentation that included the amount of recyclable material.

Results of the pilot will be shared with cities and tribal communities along the Salt River, as well as national audiences interested in application of equipment at an arid desert location during summer monsoon months with flash precipitation patterns.

As part of this project, ASU and City of Phoenix are collaborating on educational messaging to inform the public of the impact of litter on the river ecosystem.